, 1887-08-04
REFUSES TO SIGN.
Mayor Riner Will Not Approve the
Street Railway Ordinance.
Property Holders Object to the
Ferguson Street Line.
The Company Threatens To Sell
Out and Disband.

moral reform petltlOnS. AT any rate sew
eral people concerned are as mad as hor-
nets. His honor has refused to sign the
ordinance passed Tuesday evening unless
the company will agree to turn westward
at Nineteenth street instead of Twentieth,
as now proposed. Mayor Riner asserts
that the presence of the bob tailed cars
with the tinkling bell and loud voiced
driver attachment, is very Objectionable
to property holders on Ferguson street,
north of Nineteenth, and that they are
certainly entitled to a voice in the matter
The company talk about abandoning
the work." said he, but l don't think
they intend to do anything of the sort. In
the first place. they should have con-
structed the line upon the streets over
which right of way was originally granted.
When they entered into the contract it
was not supposed that a proviso was at
tached permitting them to change their
plans at will. Perhaps they have very
good reasons for so doing, but it is an I'M
business like proceeding, to say the least.
| told a member of the company to-day
that the ordinance changing the route
might just as well have been introduced
two weeks prior to the time it was and
not rushed through in a single night.
Had it been introduced regularly
and been taken under consideration
the customary fourteen days there would
have been no occasion for all this racket.
Interested citizens would then have had
sufficient time to consider the possible
merits or disadvantages OF the change.
| will not approve the ordinance in its
present form for the simple reason that a
number of Ferguson street residents,
among them one of the largest share
holders in the concern, have personally
and urgently requested me not to do So"
One of the officers of the company
was hunted up a LEADER reporter and
requested to relate his version of the
matter. His first remark was: "All this
talk about the hasty passage OF that ordi-
nance having the appearance Of a job
or Doodle transaction is the merest bosh."
After this outbreak the gentleman cooled
down and continued: The ordinance
was not introduced previous to
Tuesday night for the simple reason
that we had not concluded positively to
alter the proposed route until that date.
Owing to the fact that three street car fac
tories have been burned in the past three
months it would be impossible to obtain
rolling stock until some time after the
occurrence of the fire, and it would be a
foolish investment to build a line to the
grounds and maintain it for a year at a
constant loss. Hence the abandonment
of the Eddy street line. | can almost
positively assert that but one resident Of
Ferguson street is ~antagonistic to the new
move, and fail to see why one man should
control the actions of the city council to
the detrIment of numerous other resi-
dents. Several Eddy street business men
object to the change for the reason
that they recognize the advantages
to be derived from the construc-
ton and operation of the line.
1t requires considerable capital to estab-
fish a street railway. Drivers must be
paid, rolling stock purchased and six
horses must be used with each car. l am
about weary of all this inconsistent roar
ing, and if any man wants my place I'll
sell out at a very reasonable figure. Why,
80 per cent. OF the stock Of the corpora
ton is owned and controlled by residents
of Ferguson street and still the mayor
and one. other man insists that the line
ust not invade the sacred precincts of
that thoroughfare above Nineteenth
street. The reason we desire to include
Twentieth street is that unless that route
is adopted the line will be about four
blocks short Of the contemplated mile and
a half. If the council will consent to
accept this shortage we will leave Fergu-
son street at Nineteenth. In short the
position of the company is simply this:
1T has the material here for one route,
1t has selected a route which will more
nearly pay expenses than any other for
the present. The council has granted
this route. If undue pressure prevents
the mayor from signing the ordinance, of
course the company will not build on that
route, nor On any other"
1t Is hoped that the company and the
council will be able to satisfactorily adjust
the present difficulty in order that active
work may begin upon the line at once.
Yesterday the company posted placards
about the city calling for forty men to
be in readiness for work this morning,
but on learning that the mayor refused to
sign the ordinance establishing the change
of route, caused the notices to be taken
down The street railway official quoted
above stated positively hat unless a con.
clusion in the matter was not soon reached
the material already purchased by the
company would be sold and the corpora
ton disbanded.
Goods given away free of charge at s.
kellner's. Money paid for every twentl.